EDITORIAL

The Society owes an apology to many of its members. Over the past year, a large number of Journals have failed to reach their destination, or have been delivered very late, to the understandable annoyance of the supposed recipients. This has caused a great deal of "hassle" and correspondence, especially with our overseas members, who ?R, r~.`rP h~P.T2.t~2p '72r3212.°3 .fPJRiS. ;'1 . ~ f ,•u~'tr ,`ueetl -rtlutrifrre$, ana'tne prdtilem should not recurAf you are a fully paid-up member, and have not received one or more Journals over the past year,please write to Mr R. Hale. 'Reading Road, South Shields NE334SF, stating which issue is missing. He would also like to know of any future instances of late or non arrival of the Journal. We are very sorry indeed about the failures, which have created serious administrative and financial difficulties for the Society.

Each year since the Society was formed, an index to the Journals has been prepared by Mr Dave Linley of Preston, Lancashire. This is a necessary and invaluable work in a Society such as this. Mr Linley has now decided he has done a long enough stint. I can fully appreciate his feelings. Working unseen from a town away from the Society's heartland, Dave deserves all our thanks for his splendid efforts. But we now need a replacement! Here is a chance for non local members to help the Society. If anyone would like to take on the task of indexing from Volume 16, I would be glad to hear from them. The only requirements are a typewriter or word processor, plus the inexhaustible patience needed to compile an index to names, places etc in the four Journals each year.

Members will note that the popular "Members Interests" and "Second Time Around" features have now been merged, as their continuing separate existence did not seem to serve any real purpose. You can of course have your queries published as many times as you want, free of charge, but please keep them reasonably brief and specific. Send to Phil Thirkell, 100 Stuart Court, Kenton Bank Foot, Newcastle NE3 2SG and NOT to me!

NOTES & NEWS

The Society is running a one-day conference, in conjunction with the Society of Genealogists, at Gosforth High School, Great North Road, Newcastle on Saturday, 16th November from 9.15 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The topic is "Computers in Family History". There will be speakers and an exhibition of computer hardware and software. Cost is £ 12, including lunch. Contact Mrs M Furness, 8 Shadfen Park Road, Marden Farm, North Shields, Tyne & Wear NE30 3JD.

Other conferences and day schools are:-

19 October 1991. Cleveland FHS is hosting a North East Family History conference at the Arts Centre, Vane Terrace, Darlington. Details from Mrs C.A. Lee, 3 The Green, Kirklevington, Yarm, Cleveland TS15 9NW. 2 November 1991. Durham County Local History Society and the WEA one day school at 32 Old Elvet, Durham 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. "It counted because they counted - the 1851 and other 19th century censuses." Five speakers will talk on the Process of Enumeration; An Urban Area - Sunderland; Colliery Villages; Durham City; Agricultural Villages. Cost £7 - Cheques (payable to WEA) with name, address and phone number to Mr D. Wilcock, 26 Bede Terrace, Bowburn, Durham DH6 5DT. 7 March 1992. London Group of NDFHS. "A North East Miscellany". Programme includes A Most Melancholy Accident (G. Nicholson); The Northumbrian Jacobites (Dr Leo Gooch); Not a Drum was Heard (N. Welch); Grey Owl and his relations (Marjorie Moore). Entry by prior booking only; early booking advised - closing date 1st February. SAE to Mrs W Bennett, 16 Grayshott Laurels, Lindford, Bordon, Hants GU35 OQB for application form.

Felton and Swarland Local History Society has published "A Record of the Monumental Inscriptions of the Felton District of Northumberland" covering Felton churchyard, the village cemetery, Eshott Methodist Chapel, the Catholic Church and War Memorials in Felton, Eshott and Thirston. Obtain from Mrs H. Charlton, 35 Main Street, Felton, Morpeth, Northumberland NE65 9PP. Cost £2.50 plus postage (70p in UK, £1.70 in Europe, £1.06 Surface Mail North America & Australasia or £2.77 Air Mail).

The Silksworth Heritage Group has published an index to the 1881 Census of the Silksworth and Tunstall areas of Sunderland. Cost £3 from Mrs D. McKeown, 38 Somerset Cottages, Silksworth, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR3 1BX.

Would members who wish to borrow the Journals of other Family History Societies please note they should contact Mrs K Willans, 9 The Ridgeway, Kenton, Newcastle NE3 4LP and not Mrs D. Tait, the Society's Librarian. CHANGES IN THE NORTHUMBERLAND RECORD OFFICE Major changes in Search Room procedures will come into effect on Monday 22 July 1991. The number of staff in the Search Room will be reduced from TWO to ONE. This does not, however, mean a reduction in the level of service, simply that staffing will be organised in a different way to make the best use of office resouces. Briefly, the Search Room will be manned by a Senior Records Assistant who will give advice on what sources to consult and how to use the lists, calendars, indexes and other finding aids. Where necessary, more complex and detailed enquiries will be referred to the Duty Archivist. Production of records, other than Ordnance Survey maps and wills will be carried out by staff not based in the Search Room. Since these staff have other duties, there may occasionally be some delay but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum. Xerox photocopying orders will be carried out between 2 pm. and 3pm. every afternoon. Therefore morning orders should be ready for collection at Reception after 3 pm. Photocopies ordered after 3 pm. will not be ready until the following afternoon. Where possible searchers are asked to telephone in advance of their visits if they require detailed or specialist advice from the Duty Archivist. It would be helpful if all searchers wishing to use original records could telephone in advance. It is hoped that searchers will benefit from these changes as professional staff should be able to spend additional time on cataloguing, thus making more records available for research. All users of microfilm records must continue to book a microfilm reader in advance of their visit.

FROM THE. TREASURER It is subscription time again, and like most things these days, the cost has gone up! Details are given under the heading "Membership Renewals". Please help by following the instructions carefully and renewing early! Our current membership is approximately 2000 and to fund our activities for the forthcoming year, we need to generate about £20,000 from subscriptions. It is therefore appropriate to increase subs to £ 10, the first increase for some years. Overseas members cost approximately £4 each in extra postage costs, so the overseas sub is set at £ 14, if paid in sterling. However, many overseas members pay in their own currency and there are substantial costs incurred in conversion, so separate rates have been quoted for overseas members paying in their own currencies. Some members have queried the need for the joining/late renewal fee which was introduced last year. There were two reasons for this. Many people j oin the Society for a year and then let their membership lapse. This involves considerable work in setting up the mailing list and updating it. In addition, when a member joins, he or she is entitled to all the Journals published in that year. We incur much higher costs in sending out single copies of the Journal than in sending them out en bloc via a mailing house. The joining fee is intended to cover these costs. Membership fees are due on 1st November. If they are paid by this date, we have 2 months to process the renewals and produce the mailing list for the Spring Journal. Members who renew after 31 December cause a huge amount of work as the mailing list has to be amended again, if there is time. If the renewal comes too late for the mailing list to be amended, copies of the Spring Journal have to be sent out individually, causing extra work and extra cost. The late renewal fee is primarily intended to encourage members to renew on time to avoid this extra work and cost. So please help!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Mr John R Purvis of Gilmerton, St Andrews, Fife KY 16 8NB writes "I enjoyed the emigrant's letter on page 35 of the Summer 1991 Journal. I have found Lloyds of London a superb source of information on anything to do with ships. They will almost certainly have a list of ships which departed Liverpool on 4th June 1852 and another of those reported as arriving at Port Philip Heads 7th September and Melbourne 10th September 1852. By elimination it should be possible to identify the ship concerned. Lloyds may have passenger lists also but they are certainly available somewhere in Australia. One of my correspondents got hold of such when I was doing research on relations who went to Australia about the same time as your emigrant."

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

Subscriptions for 1991/92 are due for payment on or before 1 November 1991. Failure to renew your subscription by 31 December 1991 will result in your having to pay an additional 50% rejoining fee.

UK SUBSCRIPTIONS 1991/92 UK personal member (including institutions in the Northumberland and Durham area and personal members in the EEC and BFPO) ...... ,...... ,.....,...... „„„„„„„„„„„„,.....,...,.. 10.00 Overseas personal member ...... 14.00 Each additional member at the same address ...... „„„„„„„„„„„„...... 1.00 UK institutional members ...... 20.00 Overseas institutional members ...... 28.00

PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS 1. Make cheques payable to NDFHS. 2. Write your name, address and membership number (if known) on the back of the cheque. 3. Send cheques to:- N.D.F.H.S. PO Box 35 DURHAM DH1 3HR

4. Do not send any other correspondence. No action will betaken on correspondence relating to any matter other than subscription renewals. Do not send cash. We cannot accept subscriptions for more than one year at a time. Overseas Members. If you are really unable to obtain sterling cheques or money orders then you may pay by cheque in one of the following currencies, at the rates specified: US personal members: US $32.00 Australian personal members: Aus $36.00 Canadian personal members: Can $34.00 These amounts include a sum to cover the considerable cost of converting non-sterling cheques. Please note: As in previous years, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of your subscription. The 1991/92 subscription covers the Journals issued from Spring to Winter 1992.

Act now to avoid unnecessary work for your Society's officers and to avoid paying the rejoining fee. Please do not enclose any correspondence unless it relates to rejoining.

WORK THESE OUT North Sunderland. An Extraordinary Family. There is a family living under one roof at present in a small village not many miles from this place of the following relationship viz 4 mothers, 3 grandmothers, 2 great grandmothers, 1 great grand child, 1 great great grandmother and 1 great great grandchild yet there are only 5 persons. The eldest has attained 5 score and the youngest is one year old. (From the "Berwick Advertiser" 23 June 1849).

There was a marriage solemnized on the 27th ult in the parish church of Crosthwaite near Keswick at which were present 2 brothers, 2 sisters and 2 cousins, 3 husbands and 3 wives, 4 fathers and 4 mothers, 4 sons and 4 daughters, 2 uncles and 2 aunts, 2 nephews and 2 nieces -- and yet the party consisted of no more than 6 persons. (From "Berwick Advertiser" December 23, 1809) THE ANCESTOR PARADOX REVISITED Brian Pears

Readers may recall an article of mine entitled "Our Ancestors" which appeared in the Spring 1986 issue of this Journal (Vol 11, No 1). The article dealt primarily with what might be called `the paradox of the missing ancestors':- We have two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents and so on; the number simply doubles with every generation. The trouble is that this doubling procedure soon gives improbable results. Just 22 generations ago we would all have had just over 4 million ancestors. Now that would be around 1300 (allowing 30 years per generation) when the population was also about 4 million. Can we possibly believe that virtually everyone alive at that time was an ancestor of each and every one of us and, furthermore, that most members of earlier generations must belong to not one, but several, lines of descent to each of us? Eventually and reluctantly I concluded that we must indeed accept this somewhat astounding assertion but only after I had thoroughly tested and rejected the usual explanation of the phenomenon - that occasional marriages between relatives reduce the required number of ancestors to more acceptable levels. They do not! As I stated in the original article, even if every marriage in every generation was between second cousins, a quite unbelieveable situation, we would still run out of people to be our ancestors within 29 generations, say 1100. To be honest I did not really believe it myself, although I could find no flaws in the arguments, and I expected to be inundated with correspondence from demographers and mathematicians among the readership pointing out my errors. My expectation was not fulfilled; I received only one letter and that related to the earlier part of the article concerning the uncertainties inherent in tracing the male line. Did everyone accept that we do indeed descend from the whole population around 1300? Did nobody find this as incredible as I did? Or had I expressed myself so badly that nobody had understand what I was trying to say`? Since the article appeared I have discussed it in detail with many friends and colleagues in an attempt to understand the problem more fully. As a result a few new ideas emerged. The first - mobility, or rather the lack of it, before, say, the industrial revolution of the late eighteenth century - seemed to be a major threat to the original conclusion. Basically the idea is that until fairly recent times people did not move around the country to any great extent. We might well find that our immediate ancestors came from quite widely scattered locations, but we will then find that earlier generations will almost all originate from the vicinities of those same few locations. If this is true then perhaps all we can say is that we descend from the entire populations of a few distinct areas. So, to use my own family as an illustration, I have great-great-grandparents who were born in St Petersburg, Norwich, Plymouth and Callington (Cornwall) and twelve who were born `locally' - within 50 Km of Newcastle. My information on previous generations is far from complete but I know of only one born outside these areas and he came from Scotland. So I cannot refute the objection, perhaps it is true that most of my ancestors came from these places. Looking at early parish registers seems to confirm the view that people did not move very far. Marriage partners were usually `both of this parish' and most of the remainder would involve one partner from a neighbouring parish. Very few involved partners from more remote areas and they were nearly always from the wealthier sections of the community. Assuming that this was generally true, how would it affect the geographical distribution of our ancestors? Would it really mean that all our forebears were born in a few parts of the country? There is no way to be sure but there is a way to form an impression - mathematical modelling. This is a very useful and widely used technique which can test out the likely consequences of hypotheses affecting the real world when the general rules can, at least, be estimated. Normally the technique is used to predict the future - perhaps global weather pattern changes -but in this case it is used to guess at a possible distribution of ancestors around the year 1300 which could have resulted in the know distribution of certain of their descendants. All such models need two basic ingredients; the initial conditions - or, in this case, the final conditions - and a rule which will enable the next - or, rather the previous - set of conditions to be determined. Here the `initial' conditions are the birthplaces of my great-great-grandparents (excluding the Russian), and the `rule' is a guess at the spread of distances between the birthplaces of one generation and the previous one.

Birth of g-g-Grandparents Distance Proportion Blanchland Rookhope Allenheads 0 Km 5% Sparty Lea Wolsingham Satley 3 Km (2m) 30% Kenton Ninebanks Birtley 9 Km (6m) 30% Lambton Lanchester Windy Nook 15 Km (9m) 20% Plymouth Callington Norwich 30 Km (19m) 10% 60 Km (37m) 5%

The distance/proportion table is necessarily somewhat arbitrary but it is based loosely on an analysis of a small sample (530) of eighteenth century baptismal records which fortuitously gave the parents' birthplaces. The very occasional larger distances - as much as 235 Km in one case - were ignored, so the table is certainly on the conservative side.

Having fixed these parameters we can calculate a possible birthplace for a parent of any particular ancestor by randomly choosing one of the distances from the table (in such a way that there is a 5% chance of it being 0 Km, a 30% chance of it being 3 Km and so on) and a random bearing (direction) between 0° and 359°, then plotting the position at the chosen distance and bearing from the ancestor's birthplace. If this is done twice for each of the 15 great-grandparents we will have 30 possible birthplaces for the members of the previous generation. We can repeat the whole process for any required number of generations; at each stage we start with the birthplaces of one generation and end up with the birthplaces of the previous one.

In theory this could be done by hand but it would be a tedious and time consuming exercise; with a small computer it is easy and quick. Locations can be stored as grid references, random choices can be made without resort to picking from a hat and trigonometric calculations take only a few milliseconds. To avoid complications minor geographic details such as mountains and other barriers to habitation and movement are ignored; only the coastline is considered and, if a chosen distance and bearing happen to give a birthplace in the sea, a further random choice is made. The computer programme was designed to automatically work through 17 generations, that is 21 generations back from me, and in doing so it multiplies the original 15 locations to nearly 2 million. After the calculations a map is printed out showing the coastline and the distribution of ancestors in that earliest generation. A dot on this map represents a 3 Km square containing at least one ancestor.

What was the outcome? It was quite surprising. The programme was run several times and, although each run differed in detail as we might expect, every single one showed fairly complete coverage of England and Wales and much of Scotland. Judge for yourself, the example POSSIBLE DISTRIBUTION OF ANCESTORS reproduced here is typical.

Of course this in only an idealised model and it cannot be taken too seriously. All it shows, and shows quite conclusively, it that the cumulative effect of several quite small movements - perhaps a girl marrying into the next parish or a family moving into a town from the country - is quite sufficient to ensure that our ancestors 21 generations ago could well have been spread over much of the country.

The next two ideas actually reduce the number of generations needed to reach the point where almost everyone would have to be our ancestor. In previous calculations I have compared the number of ancestors at a given time with the total population, but the population comprises members of perhaps three or four generations. What proportion of the population makes up one generation? A generation is really a rather hazy concept but a little thought will show that what we really need is the number of children born in a thirty year period who will survive to marry and have children themselves.

Although this might seem difficult to quantify, all we have to do is to move forward sixteen years and consider that those aged 16 to 45 constitute a generation. This is fairly easy to estimate. Today rather less than 40% of the population are in this age group, in earlier times there was a greater proportion below 16 than there is today - beacause a quarter or more never reached 16 - but this was more than offset by the much smaller numbers of older people - the average life expectancy for men was only 41 years as recently as 1871. The result was a proportion of about 45% in the range 16 to 45 years and this figure was probably valid for many centuries. So perhaps we should compare the number of ancestors with 45% of the population rather than all of it. This would bring forward the date when our ancestors comprised most of the population to about 21 generations ago, and I do mean most of the population because if we were descended from this 45% we would also be descended from most of the rest because they would also form the previous and next generations.

The duty was not payable on dogs under 6 months old - hence in Sunderland we find Samuel Pears thinking that "it was too young to pay for yet" -- or on dogs used for "tending sheep or cattle on a farm, or in the exercise of the calling or occupation of shepherd". The luckless Hannah Tudberry, farming in West Boldon in March 1877, had a licence for one dog and told the visiting Excise officer that "only one dog was kept and that it was a sheepdog" and yet "soon after, a small black terrier appeared ...... " Officer Joseph Hartley remarked that "she told me a deliberate lie and her abusive language after she was found out made the case worse."

What has this got to do with genealogy, you will say? Not too much, perhaps, but surely it is the uncovering of relative trivia like this about our ancestors which makes our hobby so fascinating. Trivia, of course, it certainly was not -- in the eyes of the men and women who were found with unlicensed dogs. The duty payable probably presented a quarter or more of a working man's weekly pay, and of course very many were unemployed or receiving only irregular or uncertain amounts of money. And they told the Excise men so -- Mary Ann Hartley "could not afford to take out a licence at present" while John Fox, of "Hope Street in the parish of Bishopwearmouth", who was "a glass maker working for weekly wages, and looks middling well off" nevertheless claimed he "was short of money to pay for the licence."

The source of the extracts quoted is the Correspondence Book of Sunderland Customs Collection, and the Department of Customs and Excise has kindly allowed access to it. It consists of copies of correspondence between the local office and the London headquarters and recites the day-to-day events in the life of the Sunderland office and the misdeeds its officers uncovered in their area, basically Sunderland, South Shields and Jarrow. A variety of matters are mentioned -- selling refreshments without a licence, carrying a gun without a licence, using a carriage without a licence and so on -- but it is "keeping a dog without a licence" which is by far the most common offence. The reports are in a standard form, and apart from the "excuses", they give the name and address of the "offender" and his or her occupation and "circumstances." Thus, William Francis of South Hylton was "employed at Ford Paper Mill" and was "in comfortable circumstances", Thomas Trotter of 23 Edward Street, South Shields was a single man earning 26/- a week as a "labourer at a Chemical Manufactury" and Thomas Finnity of 128 Commercial Road, South Shields, whose daughter said that "her father did not intend to keep the dog" was a labourer in "moderate circumstances, wife and three children, wages 22/- weekly." Margaret Todd of Charles Street in Bishopwearmouth was a "pawnbroker in very good circumstances."

It can be seen that it may be possible to obtain information which may be difficult or impossible to find elsewhere.

It seems that the Excise Department gave the defaulter an opportunity to admit his offence and to make a payment to them in lieu of prosecution, but whether dealt with in this way or before the local Bench, 25/- was the standard penalty imposed - no small sum in those days. It is hardly surprising that many had difficulty in paying and appear in later reports to the Board in London, reporting partial payment or a total inability of the local office to collect the sums due. At least one citizen gave them a lot of trouble - John Messenger of 1 Biss Street, Millfield, a shopkeeper allegedly in "middling circumstances" at the time of the offence, was fined 25/- by the Borough Justices in October 1877, but when visited by the Excise officer "would not listen to reason and would certainly have resorted to violence if a visit was prolonged. A levy Warrant was therefore taken out and the officer accompanied the Bailiff to the house ... having knocked at the door, it was opened by Mrs Messenger who on seeing them slammed the door closed and fastened it ... I have learned that this family are in very poor circumstances, the husband has been off work upwards of twelve months with a damaged foot, and the only support they have is the wage of a son aged 15 years of age who gets 12/- a week; when there last, I could see nothing of any value in the house but as the family live there and they are about 6 in number, it is probable that there will be sufficient goods upstairs to meet the claim. The officer respectfully sought advice from his London headquarters whether he should wait for an opportunity to enter or whether "he should take out a Body Warrant for his arrest and imprisonment." We can guess their Lordship's response -- on 21st March 1878, they were advised that "John Messenger ....was yesterday arrested conveyed to and lodged in Durham- Gaol."

We see a more humane approach in the case of William Lands, a labourer of Union Street, Bishopwearmouth, whose penalty of 25/- had been mitigated by a merciful Board to half of that, 12/6d. The Officer reports that "Mr Lands informed me that he had been unable to work for two months past with a bad foot but that as soon as he was able to work again he should make an effort to pay..... He also stated that he had to sell and pawn everything that he had in his house of any value in order to keep himself and family from starvation. His foot was at that time wrapped up and seemed to be bad. I again called on him... and found him laid on his bed with one of his feet and legs swollen almost as thick as his body, and the other very little better. Apparently some inflammatory disease.... They appear to be in very poor circumstances, living in one small apartment containing two beds, and no furniture of any value. His wife also states that she has made application for his admission into a hospital. I therefore respectfully request your lordship's further directions in this case." Their Lordship's response is not recorded.

At least one man managed to avoid payment. John Hall of Gillbank House, Bishopwearmouth, "having been seriously ill for some time" had the charge against him withdrawn when he died on 9th June 1877! The "Correspondence" volume in question covers parts of the years 1877 and 1878 and I list below the names and approximate locations of the "dog licence dodgers" of north eastern County Durham between 10th March 1877 and 31st March 1878. 1 hope some members might find them useful. Unfortunately lack of space precludes publication of the full details of each case, but if anyone recognises an ancestor, your Editor (address on contents page) will be happy to give all the information available.

Editor's Note: There will be a charge of 91.50 for each name, to cover costs. $2 US or Canada, in dollar bills please, and likewise in Australian or NZ currency. Please state the name(s) for which details are required. Cheques payable to NDFHS.

SUNDERLAND PARISH Henry Machill, Charles Rowe, Newman Richardson, William Adey, William Ratcliffe, William Jackson, Robert Henderson Vipond, Thomas Reay, Thomas Key, John Byers Atkinson. BISHOPWEARMOUTH PARISH William Watson Hodgson, Mary Ann Maughan, John Gilbert, Walter Carr, James McQuillan, George Clavering Alder, Charles Rowlands, Mary Ann Hunter, David John Reay, Peter Wilkinson, Edward Anderson, William Jeffrey, Thomas Lorraine, John Fox, Thomas Graham, Margaret Todd, George William Grainger, John Nicholson, Thomas Dodd, Ralph Helmsley. Fortunatus Augustus Husdell, William Waters, John Matthews, Isabella Wilkinson, Joseph Tully, George Grey, David Morrison, Charles Thomas Humble, Thomas Haddock, John Mallam, John Robinson, Richard Scotter, John Stringer, James Hartley, William Laverick, Charles Hodge, John Burkhardt, Charles Boyle, William Francis, Joseph Curtain, Benjamin Hill, Isabella Hayes, James Grigg, John Robinson, William Harrison Broderick, Robert Reay, William Milburn, Edward Brunton, John Hall, William Jackson, William Kinley, Hannah Vaux, William Horner, Isabella Hornsby, William Oram, Andrew Nesbit, Robert Ker, Robert Landreth, John Cook, Thomas Lumsdon, Charles Davison, Frederick Harrison, Mary Chappel, Thomas Harris, William Prior, George Carter, Robert Brough, Matthew Armstrong, Henry Chapman, Henry Brunton, Thomas Brown, Mary Lawson, James Bryce, Sarah Clark Brannigan, Thomas Widdrington, Thomas Best, Elizabeth Hunter, Charles Mays, John Messenger, Thomas Maloney, William Adams, Thomas McKone, Henry Knott, James Mayor, Wayman Watson, William Dryden, George Gallilee, Peter Thompson, Joseph Swinburn, Thomas Johnston, Sarah Davison, Robert Burnett, Mary Millom, John Pebbler, Thomas Hamilton, Matthew Hepple, William Lands, Antonio Lewis, John Throup, Matthew Thompson, William Brown, Edward Barras, James Sleep, Henry Waite, John Swinbank Thompson, John James Tate, Simon Metcalf, Thomas Lumsdon, Edward Atkinson, Mary Ann White, Edward Rimmer, Henry Kirsop, William Oliver, George Rochester, Henry Overy, Elizabeth Snowball, John Wallace, John Carr Tone, Francis Taylor, James Grigg, William Swiney, David Graham Gregg, George Dove, Thomas Davison, William Glendinning, James Telford, William Gordon, John Clark, James Bell, Henry Chapman, John Fox, Ann Bell, John James Good, Joseph Harrison, Leonard Armstrong, John Greenwood, Henry Kilburn, William Wealands Bell, James Schoolin, James Barclay, John Widdrington, William Haswell, Mary Ann Hartley, Thomas Fairbridge, James Gettins, John James Mitchell, Thomas Curry, John Phillips, Ann Moore, James Edmundson, Lancelot Scott, Nicholas Chapman, Richard Gill, John Knight, Charles Crowe, Peter Sewell, John Lumley Croft, John Douglas, Benjamin Edmunds, James Hartley, John Robe, Richard Baker, Francis Duffy, William Mills, Patrick Welsh, Mary McMullen, James Lewis, Samuel Clark, Ann McGregor, Sarah Mesnard, Thomas Falla, John Walker, Robert Siddle, Charles Crick, Joseph Day. MONKWEARMOUTH PARISH Ralph Briggs, William Jarvis, William Paul, Robert Wood, Thomas Carney, William Walker, John Patterson, William Grimstead, William Pile, James Henderson, Robert Graham, Richard Wilson, John Wharton, James Wilson, William Hemming, William Robb, John Bainbridge Robson, George Elliott, Joseph Webster, William Green, Joseph Dickinson, Thomas Nilson, Matthew Potts, William Robb. SOUTH SHIELDS George Pitt, Thomas Finity, Thomas Trotter, William Brash, William Dryden, Thomas Bainbridge, William Reader. MURTON COLLIERY Thomas Robson, Lot King, Richard Clough, John Ward, Thomas Kelly. SHOTTON COLLIERY George Whitfield, Joseph Laidler. BOLDON Ralph Noble, James Stelling, George Charlton, Hannah Tudberry. SEAHAM John Sweeney, Richard Stothard, Henry Ellimore, Thomas Hannah, Ralph Hall. HART Samuel Lancaster. WINGATE Robert Robinson, Michael Connor. WHEATLEY HILL John Gilpin. EASINGTON John Johnson, John Cavanagh, Thomas Siddle, Ralph Curry. HASWELL PLOUGH Joseph Thompson. CLEADON David Sloan. WHITBURN Robert Otto. JARROW Mary McKay, Job Crass, John Bell, John Chambers, William Donaldson, Thomas Blues, John Wright, Thomas Cummings, John Knowles, Laurence Inkster, Andrew Charles, Samuel Mitchell Hall, Samuel Pears, William Usher, William Wigham, Ralph Hodge, James Chipchase, William Councellor, George McGregor, William Lawson. THORNLEY Peter McGahon, John Frecker, Samuel Bright, Robert Henry Parkinson, George Rule, Jonathan Pearson, Isaac Whysell.

A MAGISTERIAL MISUNDERSTANDING `In the account lately produced by a parish officer in this neighbourhood there was an item of lOs6d "for getting a woman with child out of the parish" -- the Justice immediately expressing his astonishment that the parish should give a premium for that purpose, the officer, with much alarm, replied that it was not he who got the child, but the charge was made for getting a pregnant woman conveyed out of the parish.' (from Newcastle Chronicle 28 February 1795) THE PILOTS OF SOUTH SHIELDS Bill Stephenson

The first to say goodmorrow The last to say goodbye Whatever port they sail from Whatever flag they fly He sets them on the high road Their distant coasts to win He meets them in the offing And brings them safely in. - ANON

There have been pilots at South Shields since time immemorial. In 1536 Henry VIII gave Trinity House the power to organise the pilots under licence, but the earliest records refer to still older documents now lost.

The pilots lived on the south bank of the river, on and around a promontory known as The Lawe. No doubt in earlier times they would watch for signs of an approaching ship and then row or sail out to offer their services for a recognised fee. In later years as competition grew they would sail further afield and scour the shipping lanes for Tyne-bound ships, often waiting off Middlesbrough, some thirty miles away. Some occasionally ventured as far as- S3fi'&y- orScar&orougA, aiinosrrivice trlat distance. Their boats were open cobles, the local boat still common as an inshore fishing boat on that coast, although now motor rather than sail driven. The principal characteristics of the boat are a deep narrow bow and a wide flat stern with slightly rolled-in sides, suitable for launching from an open beach. When the pilot and his crew had transferred to the larger vessel, the coble was taken in tow - stern first.

The recognised uniform for a pilot was a top hat and reefer jacket. He would also carry with him his licence document or `branch', so called because it was considered a branch or extension of the Trinity House charter.

The pilots were self-employed under licence from Trinity House. The fees they charged depended on the size of the vessel and were governed by statute. From the fees they paid a flat rate of one shilling to Trinity House to a central fund for the relief of widows and orphans. The approach to the mouth of the Tyne is between a pile of rocks known as the Black Middens and a sand bank, the Herd Sand, the passage between the two being called The Narrows. Ulysses is said to have sailed between the two hazards Scylla and Charybdis, and the feat has become a byword in the English language. But Ulysses only did it once and in his own ship. The South Shields pilots sailed other peoples ships between the Black Middens and the Herd Sand every day and in all weathers. It is little wonder that the census returns for South Shields are liberally sprinkled with pilots' widows, or that the pilots should have been described by a contemporary in a letter to Trinity House as "a strange set of unruly fellows". One of the hazards that affected all seafarers of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was the press gang. When the Royal Navy needed recruits they toured the seaports and carried off any able bodied men that they could find. The pilots themselves had legal immunity - after all, the navy itself needed the pilots to get their ships in and out of the port, but that immunity did not extend to apprentices, the next generation of pilots who were mainly pilots' sons. In 1798 the pilots' sons petitioned Trinity House to arrange their immunity from impressment: they were afraid to go to sea, and were losing valuable experience. Trinity House did eventually arrange it - in 1806, when the sea war against Napoleon was virtually over.

South Shields claims to have had the first purpose-built lifeboat and it was of course almost entirely manned by pilots since they were very used to handling boats in the roughest of water: their own code required that no ship should be denied their services whatever the weather, since the worse the conditions the more desperate the need, and they were very proud of it. In the words of their own song -

No matter how it blows How it rains or how it snows We are always right and ready quick and handy O When danger is to brave Or human life to save The South Shields pilots are the dandy O. The pilots lived in their own little elite society, mostly intermarrying between pilots' families. Trinity House had a general rule that licences would only be granted to close relatives of existing pilots or to the sons of Trinity House Brethren, mainly senior Master Mariners. The reason for this `closed shop' is not at all clear but it may be that since the occupation was more of a vocation that a trade, aspiring youths had to have been brought up to the traditions of the service. It is interesting to note that the elitism continued among the children well into the present century. Within living memory, only the sons of pilots were allowed to play on the Coble Landing.

The restriction of licences to relatives meant that the same names appear with the same Christian names time and time again, not only over the generations, but simultaneously. This can be absolutely maddening to the genealogist.

In 1809 there were 81 pilots from 36 families, of which 9 were named Young, 6 Shotton, 5 Purvis, and 5 Chambers, plus many more having 2, 3 or 4 with the same name.

In 1851 there were 160 pilots of which 12 were named Young, 9 Purvis, 9 Stephenson, 7 Harrison, 7 Burn, and many more families having 6 or less.

In 1905, 36 families provided 98 pilots; 14 were named Purvis, 12 Young, 8 Marshall, 6 Wright, etc.

As with most occupations of the self-employed, it was very lucrative for the most successful, with the least successful only just managing to get by. The differences became more noticeable in the mid-nineteenth century with bigger ships and improved communications throughout the country. The coal trade was booming, but bigger ships meant not only less ships but bigger fees for the pilot who got the job. The advent of steam and a national post and telegraph service also meant that owners could know in advance when to expect their ships and notify their chosen pilots. This was considered unfair by the newly-qualified touting for business, but attempts at regulation were not very successful. These included such practices as a `first come first served' policy, or having more than one pilot on board to share the workload - and the fee.

The final breakdown of control by Trinity House came in the 1860's. International agreements by central government had many years earlier reduced the fees paid by foreign ships, and a consequent loss of earnings by the pilots. Compensation was paid to Trinity House for distribution to the pilots but instead it was put into the widows' relief fund after deduction of `expenses'. Objectors had their licences suspended, and investigation following a petition to parliament resulted in the cancellation of Trinity House authority over the pilots and the setting up of an independent Tyne Pilotage Commission, on which the pilots were represented together with the Board of Trade, and the Harbour Authority, as well as Trinity House. Apart from these political aspects the life of the pilots remained much the same as before. Slowly however, technological change crept into their working practices.

During the early part of the 19th century whenever bad weather or adverse combinations of wind and tide made it difficult or dangerous to sail their cobles over the bar at the river mouth they would take them overland for two miles or so to a sheltered cove where they could be launched more easily. Once steam power started to come in the pilots bought their own steam tug to assist them out of the harbour whenever possible (Trinity House had declined a request for financial help) and over the years more and more power assistance was used.

In 1895 the entrance to the harbour was finally enclosed by piers built outside the two traditional hazards, it having taken 40 years to complete. The Black Middens, now in calmer waters no longer presented a significant threat and the Herd Sand, originally formed by the confluence of river and tidal streams virtually disappeared.

The greater predictability of the arrival of ships and improved communications also made unnecessary the sailing of long distances by the pilots to tout for business and at the start of the 20th century this practice was abandoned. Today the situation is best described as "the same only different". The Lookout House at The Lawe is still the pilots' headquarters, but these days is equipped with radio telephones and computers. The arrival of ships is predictable and pre-arranged, but the pilots still go out to them in small boats in all weather and under all conditions.

Their Association, Tyne Pilots Ltd., works in conjunction with, but independent of, the harbour authority, as it always has done, and there is still the same dedicated professionalism that has characterised the service over the centuries. North Sea Pilots

The North Sea Pilots were (and still are) a different breed altogether.

In the days when navigation was more an art than a science and relied on detailed knowledge of coastal geography such pilots were in great demand as navigational consultants by ships' captains unfamiliar with the area. They would travel with them on voyages covering an area from the Thames to the Orkneys and from the Scheldt to the Baltic. On occasions they might go further afield to the Atlantic Coast or the Mediterranean. Even today with all the most advanced aids to navigation, such pilots with a detailed knowledge of the vagaries of wind and tide are still in demand.

The River Pilots

During the Trinity House era, the sea pilots were only permitted to bring ships over the bar into Shields Harbour. Those that were continuing on up the Tyne were handed over to river pilots. Even the relatively calm journey to Newcastle was not without its hazards: the river twists and turns through all angles with unpredictable winds and a strong tidal current. With an unfavourable wind the ship had to be warped, that is pulled by ropes using either anchors or posts at the riverside. The journey to Newcastle could not generally be completed during one tide.

One of the most dangerous natural hazards was the promontory known as The Bill, a rocky outcrop which provided a natural blind corner, difficult enough to get round at the best of times, without having someone coming the other way. Collisions were frequent, and the harbour authorities were forever studying means of removing it, always coming to the same conclusion that it would be too expensive. It was finally removed, little by little between 1850 and 1880, the only remainder of its presence now being the name Bill Quay on the opposide bank.

The river pilots were fewer in number than the sea pilots, and not all lived in South Shields. Those that did formed part of the pilot community there, and there were many marriages between their families and those of the sea pilots.

With the advent of steamships, the knowledge and skill required to safely complete the journey between Shields and Newcastle diminished and in 1880 the distinction between sea and river pilots was abolished.

Editors's Note: Mr Stephenson's address is 18 Fishbourne Road, Chichester, West Sussex P019 3HX. He has added the following notes on tracing a pilot's family.

Tracing a particular line with a pilot's family is beset with the apparent problem of too much conflicting information. It is often difficult to distinguish one John, James or Andrew from the three or four others of the same name living in the same place at the same time pursuing the same vocation.

It is worth noting that many pilots married South Shields girls but went to Monkwearmouth or Tynemouth for the ceremony (down the road or over the water), sometimes being married by licence but more often than not having banns called and declaring that they were `of this parish'. There were also frequent deaths at sea - no body, no burial, no death certificate, and usually no Will or Administration Order either.

Apart from the usual census returns, parish registers and St Catherines House indexes, the following sources are most useful:

1) Tyne and Wear Archives Service: Trinity House and Tyne Pilotage Authority records. These comprise a vast number of original documents including lists of licensed pilots; with care and perserverance much useful information can be obtained.

2) South Shields Local Studies Library: Westoe (from 1858) and Harton (from 1894) Cemetery records. These were municipal graveyards following the closure of St Hilda's as being overcrowded. The burial records give some details of family relationships.

CUSTOMS & EXCISE RECORDS D. Wailes

kwunlm-. J. a~ 2rt,'ces'trave'tYeen -wriYten on C u9toms 2k hxcise records as sources for family historians, many of which are based on the Public Record Office pamphlet on the subject. As well as listing the records for both the CawtAmv ama ak-ari a1 v,;n'v1L`c~&was-mvair& i'RS'ttat flie tToar(17 of-Customs took over the management of the various excise duties) the pamphlet gives a short but useful history of the Department. The majority of the historical records are housed in the P.R.O. However, any readers with an ancestor in the Customs and Excise may be interested to know that some records are still held in the Department's headquarters in London. These can be viewed by prior appointment with the Archivist, HM Customs & Excise, New Kings Beam House, 22 Upper Ground, London SE 1 9PJ. For anyone visiting London, the building is on the south side of the river, near Blackfriars Bridge -- and about 20 minutes walk from St Catherine's House. To give the flavour of the type of information which is available, the following extracts are taken from a 1911 copy of letters from the `Collector', Newcastle to the Board of Customs in the 18th century. "15th June 1725. Collector to Board. On the 13th, Shipton, an officer, received information that the "Hay" of Newcastle, commanded by one Carr, a notorious smuggler, had been hovering on the coast for several days ... Shipton had the boat manned and found the "Hay" lying at anchor close to Tynemouth Castle, On his attempting to board, the crew stood to their arms and beat him off. Being reinforced by the arrival of another Customs boat and five men he boarded the "Hay" and after a struggle overpowered the crew." --- this resulted in the seizure of 52 casks of brandy, 8 casks of wine and a small quantity of tea! The following entry for 1st August 1730 requires rather more explanation by the Collector! Clearly there had been some sort of enquiry into the behaviour of two Customs Officers, Reed and Armstrong, and the Collector wrote to the Board with his explanation: "Observing two boats hovering near Cullercoats Pier, they sent word to the Customs boatmen, but the weather was too rough for them to get across the bar. The smugglers hailed Reed & Armstrong and offered to land the goods for seizure if the boats were allowed to escape; otherwise they would throw the goods overboard. The officers thought it would be better for the Revenue to have the goods landed and seized and so fell in with the proposition. The officers have sworn that they do not know any of the smugglers." In fact, the two boats were thought to carry more than the 178 gallons of spirit seized. This reads like a case of letting the smugglers go off with the greater portion of the cargo and seizing a smaller portion abandoned for the purpose. The two characters mentioned in the 1730 letter were probably Ralph Reed and Nicholas Armstrong. Other Customs officers mentioned in these letters include Hugh Holmes, John Wilson and Robert Jackson (Blyth) and Henry Atkinson (North Shields), all mentioned in 1746.

Editor's Note: Miss Wailes' address is 108 Millhaven Close, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Essex RM6 4PN. The PRO leaflet to which she refers in her opening paragraph is entitled "Customs and Excise records as sourcesfor biography and family history", available from Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU (Tel 081-876-3444). An article on the subject appeared in ` The Genealogist's Magazine"Vol 10 No 7 (September 1948) and another by Joy Lodey entitled "Was YourAncestor a Customs Officer" was published in Family Tree Magazine Vol 5 No 10 (August 1989).

THE PERIPATETIC IMBRIES

Dr Ash Emery

My earliest proven direct male line ancestor is my great great great grandfather, Charles Emery. He lived most of his life as a shoemaker in Berwick-Upon-Tweed but was referred to as "native of Tweedmouth" in Berwick parish records whilst he was living and working there. Certainly, there is no history of Emerys living in Berwick before Charles set up his shoemaking business in the town in the 1780's. Charles's age was given as 75 at the date of his death in Berwick in August, 1837 when his occupation was still that of shoemaker.

There is no trace of the baptism of Charles in the parishes of Tweedmouth and Berwick, neither in the dissenting congregations of Berwick, nor in the records of the United Presbyterian Church of Spittal. Charles was married twice and I have discovered the baptisms of eleven of his children in three different churches but his own birth record and baptism remain a mystery.

In an effort to trace my ancestry beyond Charles, I have spent countless hours perusing microfilmed copies of all the ancient parishes on both banks of the River Tweed and many deeper into Northumberland. Now I know what a detective's lot must be most of the time: many hours of checking and rechecking facts hoping to find a clue but not knowing when, where or whether one will come. It is also formidable living 6,000 miles from the Northumberland/Scottish border and not being cognizant of an area never visited. Thanks to a 100 year old Ordnance Survey map, a booklet, two maps of old parishes, a modern day road atlas and the help of several Northumbrian genealogists I now know a little about the very northernmost part of England and some of my relatives who were its inhabitants.

Researching my ancestry I have had to throw away some misconceptions I had when I began such as the belief that the IGI is infallible or other amateur researchers know what they are talking about. People researching names such as Amey and Imbrie tell me there is no connection with Emery, Amery or Imrie. Perhaps some of the time there is not but I have found otherwise. There were illiterates in my family 150 never mind 300 years ago and phonetically an Emery, Imrie or Imbrie was the same surname, particularly in Border country where dialects differed in communities no more than five miles apart. The breakthrough in my research for ancestors of Charles occured when I studied the baptism records of Eccles, Scotland. The IGI references the baptisms of several Imbries but no Imries. All the baptisms are for children born to David Imbrie and Isobell Lamb who were married in Eccles in 1701, just four years after the local parochial records commenced. (Why can't some nineteenth century English parish records be as detailed as those of Eccles over 100 years earlier and provide the spouse's full name?) Winding my way through the microfilm I discovered an error in the Mormons' transcription. A daughter, Janet, was actually a son, James. The early 18th century script had baffled the IGI compilers who had also failed to extract the baptism record of David's eldest son, John. At last, the clue I needed. David, Isobel, John and James are popular names in my Berwick/Tweedmouth ancestry and here they were in the Imbrie family of Eccles together with Charles, namesake of my ancestor. Some of the (microfilmed) Eccles parish register is illegible but six children of David were baptised in Eccles: John (1702), Robert (1704), Charles (1706), David (1709), James (1711) and Rachell (1714). Adjacent to the parish of Eccles is the Scottish parish of Coldstream. The parish records reflect the baptisms of two more of David's children, Ann Imrey (1717) and Adam Imray (1720). The surnames worried me but the entry for March 19, 1729 is very revealing: "Isabel Imbry had her Daur Isabel baptised child's Grandfather David Imbry being sponsor. John and Charles Imbrey witnessess." The word "child's" appears to have been inserted in a different hand after the original entry was made. There is no doubt that these were the Imbries from Eccles. The family had closed ranks with the birth of an illegitimate child. David was sponsor with two of his sons witnesses to the baptism. As I didn't have any baptism record for David's daughter, Isabel, I wondered if the mother was the fourteen-year-old Rachell. Was there another transcription error? I went back to the microfilm of Eccles baptisms but the entry for July 7, 1714 is definitely Rachell not Isobell or any variation thereof. As mentioned earlier, some of the Eccles records are indistinct so an Isabel may be in there somewhere. Even is she is not, the fact is there are no Imbries, Imreys or variations recorded in either the Eccles or the Coldstream register other than those referenced here where the father (or in this case, grandfather) is named David. There must have been an Isabel as it would be unusual for David and Isobell to have had daughters and not named one after her mother. Just across the River Tweed from Coldstream is the English parish of Cornhill-on-Tweed. Between the late 1720s and the early 1740s David and his large family migrated to England. 1742 saw the Cornhill rector busy with the burials of both David and his wife Isobal (sic) and with the baptism of John's son, James. Isobal's abode was given as Tilmouth, a hamlet on the River Till a mile or so east of its convergence with the Tweed. In 1743 and 1744 Charles Imbry/Emry was living at Heaton, also in the Cornhill parish and also on the Tiver Till. His children, Janet and David, were baptised at Cornhill respectively in March, 1742 and July, 1743. The parish records for Ford, adjacent parish to Cornhill, show that Charles had a second son Charles, baptised there in 1747. Charles was now living at Crookham, yet another village on the River Till but further south. Was the river navigable? Did it provide work for the family? Were they fishermen or agricultural labourers working on arable land close to a plentiful water supply? David's name at his burial was noted as Emry which was the surname recorded in two different parish registers for the three children of Charles. The name Imbrie (Imbry) does not occur in the parishes of northern Northumberland and only one Embre is listed in Border parishes north of the Tweed after 1729. It is possible that David's sons, John and James, moved east to Spittle (Spittal); James by 1736 and John by the early 1740s. Certainly, children of James and John Imry of Spittle were being baptised (and sometimes being buried) in Tweedmouth. Then, in 1752, the United Presbyterian Congregation was formed in Spittle. The register includes a list of the heads of the families of the "newly dissenting congregation at Spittle nr Berwick." Listed are James Emry and John Emry. To confuse the issue, William Emry was also mentioned. Was he a relative? On February 27, 1763 "Charles Imry in Tweedmouth" was publicly ordained to the office of eldership of the church. Could this be the son of David Imbrie of Eccles and the brother of John and James? All the evidence points that way but there is no evidence that my Charles was the progeny of John, James or Charles. Probably he was the grandson of one of them. Apparently Spittle was notorious for its smuggling. I don't know if my eighteenth century ancestors were agricultural labourers, fishermen, shoemakers or smugglers but the work they pursued was always close to water whether by the Rivers Tweed or Till or the North Sea. I believe that the constant search for work took the family from the Scottish parish of Eccles to the English parish of Cornhill via Coldstream. David's son, Charles, pursued a living on the River Till for several years before he followed his brothers to Spittle. The Imbries/Emerys remained itinerants but skipped the generation of Charles Emery, the shoemaker. He pursued his trade in Berwick-Upon-Tweed for over 50 years but his son Randall (my great great grandfather) moved to London by way of Edinburgh and his son made a fortune in the capital city before moving to the Sussex coast after a few years in Surrey where the fortune was squandered. I am dessended from the one branch of the family that stayed in Dorking after 1905.

Editor's Note: Dr Emery's address is PO Box 55322, Northlands, South Africa 2116.

Admissions of County Durham Children to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum London, and to the Royal School for Deaf Children Margate, in the Nineteenth Century. Peter Hendra In 1992 the Royal School for Deaf Children at Margate in Kent will celebrate two hundred years at the forefront of the development of the education of the deaf. Following a meeting at the Paul's Head Tavern, Caleaton Street, London in the summer of 1792 to set up the establishment, the school took its first pupils in the following November at a site in Bermondsey using a patronage system for admissions by recommendation by or through those who gave the school financial support. The archives, carefully kept at the school in Margate, are of importance not only to the RSDCM but also for the history of the education of hearing-impaired children worldwide. Some seventeen youngsters from Co. Durham were admitted in the period 1811 to 1887; these are listed below giving as far as the record will allow, names, town, parents, dates of (B)irthplace, (A)dmission and (D)ischarge, together with the names of Securities if from the North-East, plus the occasional contemporary comment. 1. Wm. Britton of Houghton Mill: B 20 May 1797, A Nov 1811, D Christmas 1815.

2. Dorothy Robson of South Shields: B 4 June 1807, A 27 July 1819, D Christmas 1824. 3. R.H. Hutchinson of Bishops Auckland: B 27 Mar 1811, A 10 Feb 1823, D April 1827. 4. E. Cuthbertson of Sedgefield: B 2 June 1815, A 1826, D March 1830. 5. Elizabeth Wright of Staindrop, daughter of Cuthbert and Jane Wright: B 3 Sept 1817, A 9 June 1830, D 12 Nov 1832. `taken home in very ill health'. Elizabeth died shortly afterwards. Two deaf siblings. 6. Anne Lawson of Easington nr. Sunderland, daughter of John and Isabella Lawson: B 16 Dec 1822, A 1 July 1834, D 21 June 1839. Securities Thomas Robinson of Easington and M. Gales shipbuilder of Hilton Ferry. 7. John Johnson of Bradley Fell, Ryton son of Thomas and Elizabeth Johnson: B 13 Sep 1829, A 11 Feb 1839, D 3 July 1841. Security Alexander Craiggy teacher of Ryton. 8. Joseph Johnson, brother of the above: B 30 June 1827, A 26 Apr 1839, D 3 July 1841. Securities John Spence coachmaker Ryton and Henry Down (?) shoemaker Ryton. One of 6 children, 3 of whom were deaf. 9. Mary Graham of Old Shildon, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Graham: B 19 Feb 1830, A 17 July 1839, D 7 Sept 1842. Securities Edward Foester builder of Shildon and Jacob Goundry agent of Shildon. 10. Robert Murray of South Shields son of David and Hannah Murray: B 27 Mar 1828, A 17 July 1839, D 6 June 1844. Securities Stobbs Carver turner of Newcastle and John Bayley of Newcastle. 11. William Willis of Monkwearmouth `Mother Widow': B 27 Oct 1828, A 29 Jan 1840, D 28 Feb 1845. Securities John Robson officer of Monkwearmouth and Matt Robson shipowner of Monkwearmouth. `Mischievous letters' is a cryptic comment. 12. Richard Ditchburn of Bishopwearmouth son of Richard and Dorothy Ditchburn: B 24 Nov 1837, A 22 July 1846, D 23 June 1851. Securities Mary Clark widow of Sunderland and John Ditchburn Fraser publican of Sunderland. `Can read Bible'. 13. Alfred Thompson of Bishop Wearmouth son of George (deceased) and Jane Thompson: B 6 Sept 1855, A 1 Aug 1866, D Midsummer 1871. Securities Henry Trimble Brooking and George Wilkinson chemist of B. Wearmouth.

14. William George Simmonds of Stockton on Tees son of William and Jane Simmonds: B 18 Feb 1858, A 31 Jan 1869, D 20 Dec 1873. 15. Bell Ann Brodie of Hetton-le-Hole daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Brodie: B 5 Sept 1871, A 29 Aug 1881, D 20 Dec 1887. Securities the Rev. T. Rudd of Hetton Rectory and Wm. R. Minto farmer of Coal Bank. 16. Henry Charles Millett of Whilburn (?) son of Henry and Louisa Millett: B 13 May 1877, A 8 Sept 1887, D 21 Dec 1892.

Additionally under `Northumberland' there is a Jane Mayors of South Shields: B 22 Sept 1827, A 4 Aug 1837, D Midsummer 1840.

In some cases, parental occupations are given, including farmers, a pitman, a bottle maker, a cabinet maker, a Master Mariner, a signalman and a lighthouse keeper. These youngsters represent the tip of an iceberg as far as deafness is concerned: these were the ones who were given an education of sorts whilst similarly afflicted children were left to survive as best as they could in the brutality, dirt and poverty of Victorian England.

Editor's Note: Mr Hendra's address is 30 Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent CT9 1HX.

CHILDREN IN THE GLASS HOUSES 1862 Andrew Morton "Hermit's" account of "Children in the Coal Mines" in the Spring 1991 Journal was of great interest to me; reading down the list of names of witnesses who gave evidence to the Commission, I noticed one William Morton of Seghill Colliery. As I had already traced him in the 1851 census, I naturally followed "Hermit's" advice and hurried to Manchester Central Library to look up the reference in the Commission's report. I actually got the wrong report at first, requesting that of 1865-67 but my annoyance turned to pleasure when I realised that this report contained an account of the Tyneside glass industry in the early 1860's, a great interest of mine as many of my ancestors were glassblowers on the Tyne and elsewhere. It struck me that this report could be the basis of a similar article to that by "Hermit" as it contains similar information and would be of value to others who are interested in this subject- The Royal Commission's Report first gives a thorough and fascinating insight into the lives of glassworkers of the day, and then goes on to detail the evidence of individuals, both child and adult, master and worker. What is particularly striking are the long hours worked and the brutality with which the children would often be treated by the men. The boys, strange to relate, actually worked longer hours than the men in many cases -- "In most crown, sheet and bottle glass houses the younger boys come, more or less considerably, before the men, generally by as much as from one to two or three hours, to get things ready for them, and they also stay a short time, from a few minutes to half and hour, after the men leave, to clear up. This makes the period of boys' work to that extent longer than the time spoken of as the average length of journeys, so that in few cases is the boys' work much under twelve hours, and it is often 13 or 14, and in some cases 15." (page 193). "Robert Smith, age 10, mould cleaner -- There are six of us, all boys. We rub the moulds with emery and oil. Work from 6 a.m. till 9 p.m.; sometimes make a quarter (of a day) over till 8 p.m." (page 239). The Commissioners devoted a whole page of the report to `Treatment'. This was a euphemism for ill treatment, but they pulled no punches in the text. --- "A boy ill in bed told me `They use such bad language and curse at you so that I have come roaring for it at one o'clock in the night. One man for whom I worked was very bad. He has got me up in a corner and knocked me down and kicked me as I lay and I have bruises all up my back from it. He would be like mad at you sometimes.' (No. 224) Another boy, also ill in bed, after speaking of the like swearing, says `They are awful brutes and would do anything at you. I have seen them knock boys down and kick them terrible when on the ground, so as to make bruises on the body and legs. Once I was taking in a glass and fell down and broke it, and when I came back and told the master (workman?) he jumpedup and run at me, and knocked me down and kicked me. There was a great bruise on my thigh from it. I saw a man hit a boy of about 12 on the back of his head with the blowing iron, which had some glass on the end of it, and cut his head open and make it bleed." (No 220) (page 197). On the plus side, as there was no machinery in the glass house other than hand presses, accidents when they occurred were usually of a trivial nature, minor cuts and burns being the rule. Fatalities were almost unknown. This compares well with the record of the cotton industry, whose often unguarded power looms made accidents a fairly regular occurrence. Glass workers could also earn good wages, as it was a skilled craft. Finishers, for example could earn as much as £6 to £8 per week, and don't forget this was the 1860's. However, it has to be recorded that "Intemperance is complained of as a fault common to glass makers as a class ... apprentices will drink half a gallon in a day, sometimes, and that public houses beer, too..." Men commonly spent a large proportion of their pay on drink, which was easy to get at all hours of the day and night in those days; you have merely to inspect old maps of Newcastle and Gateshead to see how many public houses there were then. The Report laments the bad examples which the men set to the boys. Very few of them attended any church or school, and it was difficult to get them to save the small part of their wages which their parents allowed them to keep. An example is given ---- "Sometimes 6d or so is put by weekly for buying boy's clothes, or some such purpose. But there does not seem to be much encouragement to boys saving; and one instance struck me as very discouraging to provident habits in a boy. A boy who gets 6d allowed him by his parents out of 10s or 11 s a week, had saved up in this way 17s. `But when my little sister died they buried her with it. Father and mother told me to draw it, and the bank man asked me `Was I going to draw it?' and I told him it was to bury my little sister, I have not put any money by since" ' (no 207 - p 199). There is a temptation to go on at greater length than I have done, but now that you have a flavour of what can be found, why don't you look it up for yourself? I found the Report in Manchester Central Library filed under `British Parliament Papers, Children's Employment Commission 1865-67, Volume 15, the reference number is 331.3 and the relevant part of the report is "Evidence upon the Glass Manufacture, collected by Mr J E White." I'm sure it must also be available in Newcastle Central Library among others.

Editor's Note: It is indeed in Newcastle Library, reference 331.3, as "Childrens Employment Commission 1865-7. Reports 4 to 6, pages 181 to 264).

You will find below all the names of those interviewed whose evidence is given in the Report. I have followed "Hermit" in his use of the letter F to indicate a mention of other members of the family and G to show where the witnesses mentions another place. I also give the interview number for each witness, along with the job and where appropriate other details of a personal nature. MESSRS RW SWINBURNE AND CO'S PLATE GLASS MANUFACTURERS, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE AND SOUTH SHIELDS. 2 Mr R.W. Swinburne. 3 Robert Buckham age 12, `Can read, not very well, go to church.' 4 Thomas Melburn, age 10. 5 John Summers, age 11. 6 Thomas Lister, `person appointed to conduct me round the works'. 7 Julia M'Anally age 18. MESSRS JAMES HARTLEY & CO' CROWN & SHEET GLASS WORKS, SUNDERLAND. 44 Mr James Harley. 45 F Johnnie Mathers, age 9, `Father killed in colliery and mother left badly off.' 46 William Thomas age 12 `was only two or three weeks at day school.' 47 Solomon Spires, manager of a crown house. 48 David Robertson. WEARMOUTH CROWN GLASS CO'S CROWN & SHEET GLASS WORKS, SUNDERLAND. 49 Messrs John Matteson and C. Goulton Matteson, managing partners. 50 -G- Joseph Stanger, manager of sheet glasshouse, `I am a Frenchman.' MESSRS E MOORE & CO, FLINT GLASS MANUFACTURERS, SOUTH SHIELDS 148 Mr E Moore. 149 -G- Alexander Dickson, age 13, sticker up. 150 William Mather age 13. 151 William Carr age 11 taker-in. 152 Robert Smith age 10, mould cleaner, `This boy was the youngest. He and another of the six could not read.' MESSRS SOWERBY & NEVILLE'S, FLINT GLASS MANUFACTURERS, NEWCASTLE. 153 Mr Neville 154 -G- Thomas M'Graby age 13, taker-in, `canna read or write well; was na very lang at school. Go to chapel and school on Sundays (can read a little). 155 James Shannon age 14 (?), flatter, `Don't know how old I am; yes, warrant I'm 14 -- am a flatter, was at school but didn't learn much.' NORTHUMBERLAND CO'S FLINT GLASS WORKS, FORTH BANK, NEWCASTLE 156 Mr Dodd, partner W & R FERRY'S, FLINT & GREEN BOTTLE GLASS MANUFACTURERS, HILL GATE, NEWCASTLE 157 -F- Mr W Ferry MR D MARTIN'S, FLINT GLASS MANUFACTURERS, NEW CHATHAM, GATESHEAD 158 Mr D Martin MESSRS M'DERMOTT, CONNOLLY & CO'S, FLINT GLASS MANUFACTURERS, PIPEWELLGATE, GATESHEAD 159 Mr Thomas M'Dermott. 160 Edward Chilton age 11. R GRAY'S FLINT GLASS MANUFACTURER, GATESHEAD. 161 R Gray. 162 Joseph Conmore age 12

Alnwick, as befits a town with a Ducal piper, shows several musicians active over the centuries. Another entry shows Thomas, son of Thomas Mason, piper, was born in 1713. Another town noted for its waits is Hexham. The well established name of Kell, tailors of Hexham, appears with Joseph Kell as town wait in the 1700's. At the baptism of his children between 1708 and 1711 he is described variously as musician or wait, except with the baptism of a daughter in 1706 when he is revealed as a fiddler. It is tempting to think that this person was the same Joseph Kell who, at Hexham in the aftermath of the 1715 Jacobite Rising, appears in a complaint of Simon Dodd, sheriff's official who "actually had in his custody the body of one Matthew Kell and that one Joseph Kell of Hexham and several other persons rescued him from this informant whereby the said Matthew Kell made his escape into the country." At the same period, Thomas Chesmond, fiddler, was living in Hexham. His five children born between 1696 and 1704 a son Joseph who followed in his father's footsteps --- he is called fiddler in 1732. Robert Scott of Greenridge was piper in Hexham in 1722. With his daughter's baptism in 1731 he also appears as "barberer" --- could this be the same Robert Scott, piper of Wall, who in 1765 at St John Lee married at the age of 90 Miss Jean Middlemas aged only 25? Local newspapers commented that "the person who acted as father was a piper and the bridesmaid was a piper's daughter, and what was very remarkable though the bridegroom had used crutches for near 26 years before, he threw them away that morning and walked to and from church (about 6 miles) without them. After the ceremony was over, the parson treated the company with cakes and ale; and at the bridegroom's house at Wall, a dinner was provided and the afternoon spent with the utmost mirth and jollity, having several pipers and fiddlers to entertain them." Here we see the reason for the existence of village pipers and fiddlers before the age of disco music and records. In Hexham, the town actually made provision for `waits', as the 1680 Borough Book shows the election of Thomas Hill to `serve at riding of fairs, commons and mending of high waits or any publike service." Thomas Hill died in 1697, described as `pyper'. His son William, born in 1670, was also piper and town wait. He married Margaret Robson in 1701 and produced nine children, amongst whose godparents or `sponsors' appear the names of other piping families -- George Baity, Jane Baity, Sarah Kell and Joseph Kell. The Baity's seem to have had a long connection with piping. John Baity, `pyper' died in 1700 leaving his one- year old son William, whose godfather William Hill, piper, hopefully stepped in to fill the gap. However, it may have been left to George Bayty, probably brother of John, who lost his own wife Anne in 1703, being `poore'. She left a son George, born around 1695, who became a piper in the 1720's. George married a second time to Isabel Milbourne in 1708 when he is described as `weaver' and had a further four children. It is obvious from the godparents that the families appointed as town `waits' were closely connected and no doubt passed on their piping skills to succeeding generations. No wills of them survive though this must be no surprise, as only one Act Book (registering Hexhamshire wills for the period 1694-1706) has itself survived the vicissitudes of time. Martin Rudderford, piper of Broom within the parish of St Oswald, Durham died in 1686. His first wife died of plague - one of those mysterious `visitations' which affected early centuries and spread, like modern influenza epidemics, but with devastating results. His second wife Alice gave birth to four sons, and he even survived his third wife who died in 1672. Though the Rudderforth name had been recorded in Durham since 1570, it seems to have come to an end with his own death in 1680. Robert Trumble is a name already known as a piper. He married Elizabeth Urpeth in July 1664 and had a son Bernard. Though he belonged to Rothbury, the name crops up at Beadnell and Denwick in the 1680's and at Boomer in 1741. There must be many more examples yet to be found. It is hoped that these few instances will serve to commemorate those forebears who kept alive the musical traditions of the north country.

MARRIAGE Marriage. At Berwick church, on Tuesday last, Mr Robert Thomas, aged 85 to Mrs Spence aged 60!!! This is the fifth time the charming bride has been led to the Altar of Hymen and but a fortnight since her last husband died! The fond couple were hooted and pelted by the rabble, who though not fittest judges of decorum and propriety, yet seemed to consider the conduct of the bride as an outrage to common decency. (From "Berwick Advertiser" March 11th 1815)

ERRATUM The map of Alnwick shown on page 51 of the Summer Journal was wrongly described as a 19th century plan. It is in fact a map of 1769.

ABERDONIANS ON TYNESIDE Ron French

In 1841, there appeared on Tyneside, the first of `Three Wise Men' from Aberdeen, who were to be very influential in the shaping of the iron shipbuilding industry in North East England. He was John Henry Sangster Coutts, who could claim to be the builder of the first sizeable iron ship on the river Tyne ... this was the P.S. Prince Albert of 1842. In a short but notable career, Coutts built the S.S. Q.E.D., in 1844, credited as the first ship in the world to have the innovative feature of `double bottoms'... this enabled her to carry water ballast in tanks, instead of loose sand in the holds, when returning empty to the Tyne from delivering coal to London, the Continent and elsewhere. Coutts recruited many of his workers from Aberdeen, particularly at his second shipyard at Willington Quay 1849-55. He was followed from Aberdeen by Charles Mitchell, who eventually had his own shipyard on the Tyne, at Walker. Mitchell went on to fame and fortune and in later years was to be a generous benefactor to Aberdeen University. In 1853, on the south bank of the Tyne, at Hebburn, the third man from Aberdeen arrived, to set up an iron shipyard. He was Andrew Leslie, a Shetlander who had served as a boilermaker in Aberdeen before coming south to England. Leslie was the foremost recruiter of Aberdonians for his new venture. Indeed, Hebburn quickly became known as `little Aberdeen' to local Tynesiders! That original nucleus of shipyard families in Hebburn was to provide generations of workers in the town. It may be of interest, therefore, to members perhaps unaware of this particular group of families. There was indeed a general drift of Aberdeenshire people to other parts of England and overseas. To that end, I append a list of surnames of Scots descent who appear on the 1871 and 1881 census records of Hebburn-on-Tyne. Carmichael, Ritchie, Ross, Grant, Matheson, Irvine, Taylor, Wallace, Duncan, Wilkie, Thom, Joyner, Milne, Halcrow, Strachan, Duff, Robertson, Murray, Masson, Mennie, Mowat. These families were well represented in the shipyard of Andrew Leslie. Also in the town were: Harper (Banff), Patrick, McArthur, Monday, McGregor, Gibson, Toucher, Dutch, McGuffie, McIntyre, Gorrie, Blackwood, Reavey, McNee, Kinross, Buchanan, Munrow, Fox, Martin, McLachlan, Cattanach, Collins, Reeves, Inglis, Lowrie. Even the local station master in 1881 was a Mr Corsie, born in Orkney; interesting too may be the Orcadian link on Tyneside, with the Inkster family in particular still to be found in Hebburn and South Shields. At Andrew Leslie's funeral in 1894, some 41 years after his arrival on Tyneside, his obituary records the presence of many of his original employees, foremen and managers. He had built many streets of houses adjacent to the yard for his workers and a magnificent Scots Presbyterian Church -- St Andrews, Hebburn, still a notable landmark today. His firm became R & W Hawthorn Leslie & Co and was an outstanding ship and engine builder for 120 years. The site of the yard (preserving the 1866 dry dock of Andrew Leslie) is projected to form the nucleus of a maritime exhibition centre in the 1990's. Finally, I would add that the Hebburn census Records on microfilm are available for researchers at Tyne & Wear Archives in Newcastle and South Shields Library.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the Winter 1990 Journal of the Aberdeen & North East Scotland Family History Society, and we are grateful to that Society and to the author for permission to reprint it here.

RICH OR POOR? Died here on Sunday last, John Chisholm, one of the outpensioners, this singular character is supposed to have died very rich, and was heir at law to a large property yet he was constantly employed in gathering sticks, pieces of rope, coals etc off the streets. He served under the immortal Wolfe at Quebec and was allowed at that time to be one of the best swordsmen in the Army. (from "Berwick Advertiser February 27, 1808).

ETAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1777-1783. George Arnet & wife, Coldstream 1782. Betty Brown, Coldstream 1777. Jane Brown, Whitsome 1777. Jos Buglass, Ladykirk 1781. Henry Cairns & family, Swinton 1777. John Cairns & wife, Edrom 1778. William Cairns, Crailing 1783. Joseph Cockburn & wife, Hutton 1780. Thomas Common & wife Yetholm 1778. Joseph Crenston, Linton 1780. Elizabeth Cuthbertson, Coldstream 1778. John Dods, Langton 1783. Andrew Easton &family, Hutton 1780. Jane Eccles, Eccles 1781. Alexander Fortune, Dunse 1783. Joseph Gray & wife, Longton 1780. Elizabeth Hill, Leith 1783. Elizabeth Hogg, Leith 1783. James Howison, Stitchell 1779. Alexander Jonston, Coldstream 1777. Andrew Laidlaw & wife, Morebattle 1783. William Landel, Chirnside 1783. Thomas Lillico & family, Coldstream 1780. Betty Mills, Coldstream 1780. Mrs Isabel Milne, Leith 1783. George Morton, Ladykirk 1778. John MacBain, Leith 1783. William MacDougal & wife, Edrom 1783. Agnes Neilson, Edrom 1780. James Patterson, Coldingham 1783. Robert Patterson, Pencaitland 1777. William Purvis & wife, Hutton 1782. James Robertson & family, Hutton 1778. Patrick Robertson & family, Hutton 1778. Peter Roger & wife, Dunfermline 1777. John Scott & wife, Aberdalyie (?) 1783 (both died - Mrs Scott 1866). Janet Smith, Leith 1783. Adam Stenhouse & wife, Yetholm 1778. William Whitlaw & wife, Swinton 1779. James Wood & wife, Aytoun 1779. George Wylie, Coldstream 1780.

ADDENDA. The followingnames were inadvertantly omitted from the lists which aggeared in the_ Sgring L99 L J ournal:-

LOWICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. James Milne, Lowick, teacher, Edinburgh 1851. Agnes Stewart (married) Barrington, farm servant, Langton 1854.

SION MEETING HOUSE, ALNWICK. Jane Embleton, Pittenweem 1793.

HARBOTTLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. David Laidler, Melrose 1747.

TOWER HILL CHAPEL, WOOLER. James & Mary Hall, Ilderton Dod, Carlisle 1853 (James died 1859; Mary died 1861 at Earl Mill). John Turnbull, Wooler, Tarver parish 1856.

INDEX TO HODGSON'S PEDIGREES Douglas W. Smith

In the Winter 1990 issue of the Journal, the scope and content of the pedigrees compiled by John Crawford Hodgson were outlined. The pedigrees are held on microfilm by Newcastle Central Library. We now print the fourth and final part of the Index.

TARLETON (Collingwood House, Liverpool) II, 366. TATE (Guyzance) 1, 12; (Guyzance Mill) II, 43; (Rennington) IV, 32; V, 46; (Guyzance, Alnwick and Shilbottle) IX, 276; (Alnwick, historian ) IX, 128. TATTON (Brown ) VIII, 14. TAYLOR (Vicar, Hart) I, 289; (Whickham) I, 372; (Doxford) I, 336; (Ellingham and Rothbury) III, 286; (Togston Low Hall and Bilton Barns) V, 172; (Earsdon) VII, 183-5; (Shilbottle) VII, 187; (South Blyth) VII, 189; (Commissioner) IX, 175; (Doxford) IX, 217; (Beadnell) A. 58; (Chipchase and Earsdon) B. 390; (Rothbury and South Charlton) B. 425; (Druridge) B. 438; (Chrisr, Morpeth) B. 17. TEASDALE (Knipe Hall and Hauxley) II, 24; (Alnwick) IX, 203; (N/c) 590. TEMPERLEY (Elyhaugh) III, 234; (Hexham) III, 232; (Alnwick) 400; (Hexham) A. 344. TEMPLE VIII, 146; (Archp, Berwick) A. 88; (Simon, Shields & Jarrow) C. 207B, 720. TERROT (Berwick) I, 284; VIII, 185. TEWART (Glanton) V, 288; A. 82. THEW V, 66, 118; (Alnwick) IX, 208, 210, 212. THIRKELD (Whickham and Melmerby) II, 240. THIRLWELL (Alnwick) IX, 82; B. 552. THOMPSON (Coatyards) I, 449; (Shieldykes) I, 35; (Morpeth and Espley) I, 225; (Norham, Kirknewton) I, Ixviii; (Geo. S., clerk, Acklington) II, 342; (Morpeth) IV, 264; (Alnwick) V, 58; (Cavilhead) V, 260; (North Sunderland) V, 258; (Rev., Lucker) V, 274; (Rev. G.S., Howick and Acklington) V, 322; (N/c) VII, 193; (Horton) VII, 195; (Seaton Lodge) VII, 197; (Warkworth and Blyth) VII, 199; (Berwick and Kirknewton) VIII, 88; (Fenham Hill, Kirknewton) VIII, 95; (Alnwick, attorney) IX, 3; (Alnwick) IX, 311; (Alnwick, ironmonger IX, 200; (Alnwick) 285; (Upper Shields) IX, 207; (Broxfield) IX, 238; (Alnwick, attorney) IX, 3, 239; (Adam, Alnwick) A. 65; (Kirknewton) A. 83; (Broxfield, Denwick and Rennington) A. 244; (Peacock and Raine, Houghton le Side) A. 331; (Blyth, Stagshaw) B. 548; (Benjamin, Morpeth; will) C. 141; (Alnwick) B. 200. THORNTON (Felton, London) B. 296. THORP (and Tudor, Alnwick) IV, 36, 54, 78; IX, 19, 136; A. 230; (London and N/c) B. 214. THRELKELD (Tritlington) I, 177; C. 568. THRIFT (South Blyth) VII, 201; (Hartley) VII, 203; (Earsdon) VII, 205. THRUBRON (Blyth) VII, 191. THURSBY (N/c) 432. TIDY (Redmarshall) I, 279, 311. TINDEL (Chatton) 11, 86; (Druridge) 11, 283. TINDLE (Laverock Hall) VII, 207. TINLEY (North Shields) C. 381. TINLING (now Widdrington) III, 1. TODD (Ladykirk) VIII, 161; (Newbrough) A. 105; (N/c) 506, 596. TODRIGE [TODRIDGE] VII, 209. TOMLIN I, 17,482; (Barnhill) II, 307,406; (Barnhill and Shawdon) B. 479. TOMLINSON (South Shields) VII, 211. TONE (Capheaton) III, 100. TOPING (N/c) C, 668. TOPPING (Hexham) C. 342. TOTTON (lecturer of Hexham) C. 340. TOWNS (Broomhouse) IX, 226. TOWRY (Shipley) V, 396; VIII, 193; A. 156. TROTTER (Morpeth) III, 288; V, 40; VIII, 60; (Alnwick, watchmaker) IX, 73; (Alnwick) A. 264; (Morpeth; will) C. 175, 177. TROUTBECK B. 550. TULIP (N/c) A. 374. TUNSTALL (N/c) C. 526. TURNBULL (N/c) II, 4; (Alnwick) V, 220; (Alnwick, postmaster and innkeeper) IX, 180; (Alnwick, grocer) IX, 218. TURNER V, 32. TURTON (Morpeth) B. 430. TURVIN VIII, 168. TWEDDELL (Threepwood) III, 114. TWIZELL (N/c and Hartburn Grange) I, xxxvii; (Boldon, South Shields and Blyth) II, 303; (North Blyth) VII, 357. TYLER (Morpeth and Whalton) I, 281. TYZACK (Hebburn) I, xxiv, 24.

3038 Miss J. BORROWSCALE, 14 Eaglehurst Road, Gateacre, Liverpool L25 3QH. Would welcome any information regarding the Hardy family of Lucker/Bamburgh area, particularly John Hardy married Isabella Embleton and had a daughter Hannah bapt. Lucker 1797. 3186 Mr J.J. BARTLE, 14 Marx Crescent, South Stanley, Co. Durham DH9 6JZ. Searching for the baptisms of Robert Keers of Percy Main, native of Longbenton, and his wife Elizabeth Dodgson, native of All Saints Newcastle. Married Wallsend 1793. 3234 Mrs N. TAYLOR-BERNIE, 19 Sunny Acres, Baie D'Urfe, Quebec H9X 3117, Canada. Are there any sources of information about stone masons? I am especially interested in the Taylor family of North Seaton, many of whom were stone masons. Can anyone help with information about William Gilley, possibly of South Shields, who was amongst the first shipwrights brought to Canada after the 1812 War when U.S. troops invaded Canada? 3337 Mr ALAN G. FRYER, 142 Moor View, Camperdown, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 OXR. Searching for the descendants of James Fryer and Ann Dixon. Their known children born Burradon and Blyth area are: John Dixon (born 1868), Joseph Dixon (born 1872), James (1875), Margaret Ann Povey (1877), Margery (1880) and Mary Isabella Povey (1883). 3478 Mr JOHN LEE, 29 Dale End Road, Hilton, Derbyshire DE6 5FW. Seeking information of the Lee family living in Gateshead 1881. Children Amy, Easten, Eva and Ethel. Also information on Isabella Sarah Martyn who married John Mitchell Garbutt. 3488 Mr BRIAN PEART, 18 Derwent Close, Claygate, Esher, Surrey KT10 ORF. Seeks post-1872 information on Joseph Peart of Mellon Isle Cowshill, born 1845/46, son of John Peart of Burtree and Ann Lowe. He married Mary Hill in 1872, daughter of Jonathan Brown Hill of Cowshill.

3525 Mrs ANN STRONG, 7 Beech Avenue, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 2HE. Researching the family name of Jaques, sometimes misspelt Jakes, Jacks, etc. Earliest record found is the marriage of George Jaques, son of John at Bedlington in 1855. George's son Luke died at Earsdon 1929. Looking for family origins, possibly Durham coalfields. Is there a French connection? Female family name connections Hope and Thompson. Would appreciate any help or suggestions.

3548 Mr J.R. WHARRIER, 17 Henry Street, Worcester WR1 1RB. Looking for the baptism and parents of John Wharrer (Wharrer) and Phoebe new his wife married 1779 at Hartburn. 3552 Mrs MARY E. ASTLEY, 1 Kington Cottages, Kington Lane, Claverdon, Warwickshire CV35 8PW. Ernest Calderwood born 1873 married Elizabeth Dixon 1897, Newcastle. His sister Agnes married Henry Harding. His father Abel, painter, married Margaret Henderson at Newcastle in 1870 and died in 1873. Margaret remarried Scott, when? Elizabeth Dixon's father was George Andrew, blacksmith, son of George and grand son of Andrew, potter, and Mary Middleton. Elizabeth's mother was Mary Ann Davison daughter of George Davison, blacksmith, and Elizabeth Taylor. Keen to contact descendants of any of these families.

3565 Mrs J. HARBERTSON, 182 Powder Mill Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9DT. Conducting a one-name study of Harbertson and its variants. Would welcome news of any finds in Northumberland and the Borders (postage gladly refunded), particularly in 1760's as the last proved link is James Harberson married 1784 and whose children where baptised at Wooler West Chapel. Two particular marriages sought - (1) James Herberson to Jane Riddle or Scott (maiden name is alternated on the children's birth certificates, the first at Wooler in 1840), and (2) Andrew Harberson to Margaret Ford or Rutherford, their first child being baptised at Berwick Relief Chapel in 1815.

3614 Mr D. ROBERTS, 64 Willow Road, Darlington, Co. Durham DL3 6QB. Interested in the Roberts family in the Seaham area. Family bible indicates Thomas Roberts, son of John, born 1833, but where? Married Ann Elliott of Murton at Dalton-le-Dale 1854. 3721 Mrs S. HUMPHREYS, 59 George Lane, Hayes, Bromley BR2 7LG. Researching William Davison, pitman, who married Ann Raisbeck c. 1846 South Shields; Samuel Wilson, glassmaker, married Mary Moer at Gateshead c.1856; Isabella Brown born Gateshead c.1856, daughter of Henry Brown, glassmaker; Richard John Milton probably born c. 1841 Cumberland or Scotland married (1) Elizabeth Lithgow and (2) Margaret Ritchie; Frank Herbert Smith born 1878 married Elizabeth Miller; and James Miller born c. 1826, son of James who married Jane, daughter of James Peters in Newcastle 1847. 3864 Mr W. STEPHENSON, 3 Alexander House, Beadnell, Chathill, Northumberland NE67 5AQ. Margin note in the Holy Trinity, Embleton registers records baptism 1795 of John, son of Peter and Isabel Stevenson, by the chaplain of the Northumberland Militia. Census shows John, a pilot at Blyth, to be born Hendon, Durham. Was there a connection between Hendon and the militia?

3911 Mr N. CALVERT, 3 Cottingvale, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 1DW. Seeks (1) Dates and places of birth/baptism of George Calvert and Mary Wilkinson married at Brough, Westmorland 1829 plus any information on their ancestors. (2) Date and place of marriage George and Elizabeth Foreman. Their children were baptised at Cramlington John (1828), Mary (1831), Susannah (1834). (3) Date and place of marriage of Susannah Foreman and James Summers, latter baptised 1824 at Felton. James, a tile maker, lived at Eshott and then at Hazlerigg as an innkeeper. He died in 1872. 3957 Mrs SANDRA RYAN, 36 Old Kempshott Lane, Basingstoke, Hants RG22 5ET. Looking for the marriage of Samuel Hawks to Elizabeth Minns (nee Bird) c. 1875, and the baptism of David Paisley in Northern Ireland who married Agnes Gamble in 1840 in Newtownards before moving to Co. Durham. Also the Pegg family of Great Lumley area about 1870. 4003 Mr F. STOBBART, 32 All Saints Drive, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear DH5 9BL. Researching (1) William Stobbart, blacksmith, Easington Lane born 1864. (2) Tait of Lane House Farm, Hetton-le-Hole. (3) Manoah Lane born 1853 Hanslope, Buckinghamshire. (4) Bryan Cunningham born 1863 Castle Comer, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. (5) Thomas MacDonald born 1840 Girvan, Scotland. 4018 Mrs A. SEWELL, 40 Beechwood Avenue, Coulsden, Surrey CR5 2PB. Can any member help to trace the marriage of Edward Pickering Charlton, an engine fitter, and Elizabeth Jary Monk? They lived in Dunston and Gateshead and had three sons and five daughters but searches of the St Catherine's indexes have failed to reveal a marriage. Edward's first wife died in 1898 and he died at Gateshead in 1910. Also researching Samuel Charlton, grocer, born Stockton 1810 and married Mary Ann Pickering born 1820 at Haswell. They may have been living at 5 York Street, Newcastle in 1861. 4085 Mrs H. MILLER, 4 Southfields Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 1BU. Seeks information on family of Benjamin Dickinson Scott, born 1844 North Shields, married Sarah Elliott 1864 - 4 sons (John, Ben, Alex, Thomas) I daughter (Sarah) - and died aged 94. He was second son of Alexander Scott, shipowner, and Tynemouth Councillor. Sarah died aged 34 in 1878. Lived in Bedford Street, Tynemouth in 1870's. 4117 Mr KEN LAWSON, 24 Ventress Farm Court, Cambridge CB1 4HD. Seeks information on Thomas Lawson and Agnes Sumerside married Washington 1773 but later lived at Whickham. Also Isabella Redden, believed born in Scotland, married Joseph Lawson at Newcastle 1856 and Isabella Ann Wall married George Lawson, police constable, at Newcastle 1887. 4147 Mrs E. LAMBERT, 84 Blendworth Lane, Harefield Estate, Southampton, Hants S02 5HG. Help wanted with information of the family of Charles William Gray Webster born 1885 in Hartington St., Monkwearmouth. Parents were George and Jane Anne (nee Jones) and lived at Stockton Road, Bishopwearmouth. There was also a daughter Jane Elizabeth. George had a florists business at New Market. Union Street, Sunderland. Jane Anne died post 1919 as Charles obtained compassionate leave from the army. Also researching Ely James Marshall and his wife Hannah. `Little Jim' was a shipwright in Sunderland before moving to Southampton in the 1880's where the youngest of his eighteen children was born. 4182 Mrs S. SCOTT, 18 Coventry Road, Newton Hall, Durham DH1 5XD. Seeking any information on Call. James married Edith Fielding, their son Benjamin Call marrying Alice McCarthy. Ben was a bandmaster and composer in the Salvation Army and all lived in Leeds in the 19th century. John or James McGorro(a)n eloped to Scotland with Jane Marshall in 1850's. Their first child was born in Newcastle but they later settled in Leeds. Jane's father owned `Marshall and Boyle', shipbuilders on Clydeside. Also interested in Scott of Harewood and Otley, Earnshaw and Barker of Attercliffe, Allen of Armley and MacGregor and Hill of Leeds, all in Yorkshire. 4223 Mr H.B.R. ELLIOTT, 29 South Barnton Avenue, Edinburgh. 4235 Mr M.J. GOUNDRY, Eastfield, Glebe Crescent, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 7AW. Researching Goundry in Co. Durham, mainly Auckland area. Information especially needed on possible brothers born at Coundon - Ralph c. 1798, Joseph c. 1801, Henry c. 1805 and Robert c. 1806. IGI indicates Henry married in 1828 at Coundon, but no parish church at that time. Any ideas? Would appreciate any information on the Quaker Goundry's. Other family connections are Booth (Auckland/Etherley 17-19th c.), Chapman (Kelloe/Trimdon 19th c. and Whitworth 20th c.), Gowland (Trimdon 18th c.), Wheatley (Durham City 18th c. and Houghton/Durham/Westerton 19th c.) and Curry (Houghton/Rainton 19th c.). 4236 Mrs I. GOUNDRY, Eastfield, Glebe Crescent, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 7AW. Interested in Tait in north Northumberland (Bamburgh/Eglingham/Outchester areas) c. 1800 particularly Robert and William born Outchester (?) c. 1794/7. Also Knox in Alnwick/Eglingham area in the 19th c., William married Ann Crisp. Also any information on Margaret Scott (born 1889, Rothbury) and Robinson Fenwick (born 1861, Bedlington). 4262 Mr D.A. THWAITES, 6 Kinloch Drive, Bolton, Lancs BL1 4LZ. Researching Thwaites family of Brough under Stainmore and Bishop Auckland. Seeking any information regarding William Jackson Thwaites, living Wolsingham/Bishop Auckland in 1850's, brother of Dr Thomas Bowes Thwaites. Also looking for marriage details for Thomas Thew and Ellen or Eleanor (nee Dixon?) of North Sunderland and Seaton Delaval. 4275 Mrs MARILYN BARKER, 31 Trefoil Wood, Marton, Middlesbrough, Cleveland TS7 8RR. Was John Miller of Westside House who married Ann Arrowsmith one of the quaker Millers of Raby? Was Anthony Elstob of Sunderland related to the Elstobs of Sedgefield? Also searching for information on Hugh Greenwell who had a son Edward in 1743 at Tanfield. He may have come from Binchester. 4296 Rev K. ATKINSON, 34 Scalby Mills Road, Scarborough, North Yorkshire Y012 6RW. Researching William George Atkinson who married Rachel Adamson in 1826 at St Nicholas, Newcastle. In 1841 they were living in The Close with children Sarah (13), William Adamson (10) and Thomas (7). William George mayhave been the 4th son of William Atkinson and Anne Wood of the Flesh Market, born 1807, but so far have been unable to confirm this. 4299 Ms V. BARTHORPE, 13 Elms Road, Fareham, Hampshire P016 OSQ. Seeking information regarding Thomas Stobart, son of Lancelot and Mary, married Elizabeth Scott Newcastle/ Gateshead 1823 - 1834. 4325 Mr M.L. MARTIN, 48 Nether Way, Nether Poppleton, York Y02 6HW. Interested in any information on Martin families of Allendale and Featherstone of Stanhope, particularly Lee Martin born 1864 Allendale married Jane Featherstone born 1866 Westgate, Weardale. 4334 Mr J.W. WALTON, Castle Glebe, Welton, Carlisle, Cumbria CA5 7HG. Seeks confirmation of a story in his family history that his great grandfather's brother John Wilkinson captured Paul Jones the pirate off the mouth of the Tyne, in consequence of which he was made `Captain of the Mast'(?) and wore a red coat. He and the mast were blown into the sea and he drowned but his red coat was recovered by his sister and made into a pair of boots. Date unknown, but John Wilkinson was born 1758. Any help or suggestions as to where to make enquiries would be welcomed. 4335 Mrs ENID KING, 41 Lime Road, Redcar, Cleveland TS10 3NF. Seeks the marriage of John Errington and his wife Margaret before 1711. Also researching Waugh of Norton and Wilde of Billingham. Seeks marriage of William Proctor of Stockton to Lavinia before 1900. 4342 Miss M. CHAMBERS, 18 Skipton Road, Billingham, Cleveland TS23 2DS. Seeking information regarding Thomas Chambers of Wallsend, late 1800's. Interested in any Sheraton families of North Shields and Stockton. Barbara Jane Sheraton married John Bowman/Broman in 1871. Also seeks help with information about Thomas Brigham, tailor and railwayman of Malton in N. Yorks and North Shields, who married Elizabeth Hutchinson. 4349 Mrs RUTH WILSON, 10 Pelham Road, Wallasey, Merseyside L44 3AD. Researching the name Burdikin. John Burdikin married Sarah Clark in 1797, and their son George married Ann Atkinson. Their son, also George, married Hannah Jackson and they eventually settled in Lancashire. Any information or correspondence would be welcome. 4366 Mr PETER S. LAWSON, 53 Higher Drive, Purley, Surrey CR8 2HR. Researching Peter Lawson, mariner of Tynemouth, wife believed to be Elizabeth. Son Daniel married (1) Ellen Hall 1850 at Tynemouth then moved to South Shields where their son William was born 1852, (2) Elizabeth Hind 1862 at Holy Saviours at Tynemouth. Also researching Elizabeth Ann Elliott born 1849 at Shields or Scotland. Disinherited and ran away from home to many Joseph who left for America never to be heard of again. Elizabeth Ann, and sister Polly lived in Sunderland with their mother. She married Arthur Smith Sinclair 1868. Any information welcome. 4370 Mr R. SPRINGALL, P.O. Box 92, Mt. Eliza, Victoria 3930, Australia. Researching Hamilton and McMann families of Berwick upon Tweed. Grandfather William Hamilton, a glass cutter moved to Sunderland and married Sarah Gunn in 1892. William's father Hugh married Eleanor McMann c. 1850. Other children - Jane (1846), Hannah (1848), James a blacksmith (1850), Elizabeth (1852), Margaret (1855), Ellen who died in Edinburgh (1857), Ann (1859) and Mary Jane (1864). Eleanor's parents were James and Hannah (nee Moon). Any help would be appreciated. 4371 Mr ANDREW MORTON, 27 Osprey Avenue, Westhoughton, Bolton, Lancs BL5 2SL. Collating all references to Morton including St Catherine's indexes, wills, etc. Would welcome any information for his records and would be happy to try and answer queries. 4378 -Mr JIM JOHNSON, 237 Campbell Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3N 1B4, Canada. Seeking information of the children of Thomas Johnson. Married Jane Archbold 1776 at Sunderland and apparently, again in 1778 at Earsdon. Known children - Reay bapt. 1777 Earsdon, Mary 1779, Anne 1789, John 1792 all at Tynemouth, Edward (6th son) born at North Shields in 1800. 4380 Mrs WINIFRED DENNETT (nee Telfer), 5358 Wildwood Crescent, Delta, British Columbia V4M 3SR, Canada. Researching Walter Fleming Telfer and wife Isobel Marion Green. Married in 1884 at Gateshead then lived in Newcastle. Walter had two brothers John and Robert L. and a sister Tizzie who married an Osborne. Where did the Telfers come from? Isobel's parents John George Green and Nancy Bartlett who married in London 1853. 4387 Mrs D.J. BROWN, 6 Park Terrace, Bedlington, Northumberland NE22 7JY. Would like any information about the following families: Thomas Sill (paper maker) was a widower when he married Jane Scott, daughter of George, 1811 at St Mary's Heworth. Where did he manufacture paper? Also John Leach born c. 1803 at Winlaton married Sarah Ramshaw and lived in Newcastle. William Brown (ship owner) lived at Lamesley in 1850's. His daughter Jane Dorothy married at St Andrew's Lamesley 1854 to George Sill. Also researching Henderson, Hood, Purves and Renton of Chirnside near Berwick. 4390 Mr IAN WILSON, 6 Wessex Close, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 3BB. Researching the Stephenson family of Seaton Delaval. John William and Isabella nee Green died 1930, and the Partis family of Morpeth and New Hartley. Would welcome information regarding John Bard, master carpenter, possibly helped to build wooden piers in the Blyth/Cambois area before moving to Cornwall. Also researching Wilson/Oliver/Hagen/Wilcox and Green of Blyth area and Fryer/Hannet/Robe/Green and Cooper of Seaton Delaval area. 4391 Dr THOMAS GEORGE PICKERING, 1161 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, U.S.A. Seeks information on George Pickering who married Anne Hall, possibly of Otterburn, lived in Whalton in 1904 when they had a son George White Pickering, and died about 1907. Interested in the 18th and 19th century history of Pickerings in the Whalton area. 4392 Mrs H.G. OLIVER, 143 Norfolk Avenue, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 8BY. Researching Richard Taylor Humble, master mariner and shipowner, died Sunderland 1914 aged 96. Connected with Seamen's Almshouses, Trafalgar Square, Sunderland. 4394 Mrs E.M. BRAY, 17 Tasker Avenue, Campsie 2194, N.S.W., Australia. Seeks information about John Embleton, farmer, or any of his descendants. His known children were William, born Horrmcliffe c. 1810 and Isabella, born Cornhill c.1826. William was living in Berwick in 1836 working as a tutor in classical languages and was later Master of the Bluecoat Charity School, Sheffield. 4395 Mr G. HODGSON, 57A Tennyson Road, Portswood, Southampton S02 1HF. Seeking information about John Hodgson, sailmaker and mariner born 1807 married Mary Ann Usher 1837 Allendale. Probably son of Eleanor Burdon and Michael Hodgson of Hodgson and Son, Sunderland. Eleanor had a brother Rowland - was he related to Sunderland M.P. of the same name? John and Mary Ann's children - Eleanor born 1839, Jane IDorn'fhlb, rhwATG'Ardrveyburn'ioM dh -*ni 59is'uupwrdmmEthi.'I,ert'hwrtVhwrA: 4397 Mrs J. HAMILTON, P.O. Box 2K3, Moss Yale, N:S.W. Z5'TT, Australia. Researching Moresby and Fairfax. Moresby family originated in Cumberland. Rev John Moresby c.1645 -1717, curate at Whorlton, conducted clandestine marriages `and other misdemeanours'. Father of Rev Charles (born where?) apprenticed in Newcastle 1702, struck off 1703. Information on Moresbys in Gainford, Whorlton, Staindrop, Ryton, Durham and Rokeby. 4400 Mr D.C. JEFFREY, 17 Cobhams, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 OQA. Seeks details of Charles Jeffrey and Ann (nee Partis) who married at Ford in 1832. He was a miller at Etal from 1832 to 1839 and they may have moved to Scotland. Their son Charles, also a miller, married at Leith in 1865 by which time his parents had died. 4402 Mrs D.E. JOHNSON, 24 Railway Street, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 2UA. Seeking information regarding Edward Donnelly and Phoebe Coulthard married 1849 Stockton and had a son James born 1850 in Carlisle. James and his wife Jane both died in 1895 at Corbridge. 4410 Mr MATTHEW BIRRELL, 'Marakiri', 8 Lefoes Road, Bli Bli, Nambour 4560, Queensland, Australia. James Birrell, who went to Australia in 1886, was living with his brother William and grand parents in Dunfermline Scotland at the time of the 1881 Census. What happened to his parents Henry Birrell and Mary Elizabeth (nee Kirk) who married at High Bridge Presbyterian Church in Newcastle 1856? 4413 Mr ROBERT S.F. YOUNG, 5 Richford Road, Stratford, London E15 3PG. Does anyone know the whereabouts of a family tree which includes the marriage at Jarrow in 1796 between James Shotton and Jane Fenwick? Any information regarding the Shotton family of Jarrow would be appreciated. 4414 Mrs L.E. DUNN, 6 Beverley Close, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2RD. Researching Baker of Gateshead and Newcastle. George Gilroy Baker, musician, married Annie Jane Bainbridge at Gateshead in 1870. Also Dunn from Kyo, Co. Durham and Leatheard of Medomsley. Interested to learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel movement in that area 1850 -1930. Would also like information on Richard Lane, iron worker, and his wife Fanny Meek who moved from Staffordshire to Gateshead around 1880. 4417 PAUL W.B. BATTING, 9 Westminster Lane, Newport, Isle of Wight P030 5DL. Would like any information regarding two Lackenby cousins, Archibald and Robert, who married two sisters Elizabeth and Ann Greaves. There may be a connection with a Robertson family as the name has been used as a second christian name for three successive generations since 1880. 4432 Mr P. and Mrs M. SANDERSON, 90 South Row, Roose, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA13 OHJ. 4433 Would welcome any information of the Sanderson family of Newcastle 19th century. Thomas Sanderson, greasemaker, married Matilda Lock and they had a son Albert Edward born in 1866. Albert Edward enlisted in 1885 in the King's Liverpool Regt. giving his trade as boat builder. He married Annie Russell Taylor Dalby at Blackpool 1894 and died in Manchester in 1943. 4465 Mr T.C. THOMPSON, 7 Chadwick Walk, Clasper Village, Teams, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE8 2JY. Researching John Thompson who married Elizabeth at Auckland in the late 19th century. Also interested in information regarding Pattison Blaylock who married Jane Ann Martin in Gateshead, date unknown. 4468 A.R. YARROW, 16 Rose Walk, West Wickham, Kent BR4 ORW. Interested in the following families: Yarrow of London 18/19th c., Coltman, Farquhar, Anderson, Read, Ellis of South Shields 18/19 c., Reay and Nicholson of Ponteland, Telford of Newcastle 18/19 c. and Dixon of Stamfordham and Greenhead 18th century. Also any Perrett families or variants. 4471 Mr T.W. MORRIS, 30 Monks Crescent, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 14X. Researching Morris, Porteus, Clark and Watson of South Shields first half of the 19th century: Turnbull of South Shields/Eccles/Coldstream before 1830 and Curry of Mindrum Mill prior to 1840. 4472 JOHN BLACK, 34 Countess Road, London NW5 2XJ. Trying to trace information of his grandfather Thomas Ward Black born in the period 1852 -1855. At the time of the 1881 Census, he was living in London and his birthplace is given as Biker Bar, Scotland. Could be a mistake and it could actually be Byker Bar in Newcastle, as his sister Christiana was born at Jarrow. Her parents were registered as John Black, master joiner, and Christiana, formerly Ward. Any help or suggestions would be welcome. 4480 Mrs S. CLARKE, 151 Chapel Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield S30 4QH. Would welcome any information of the Glendinning family in Chollerton in 1742. 4481 Mr E. BROWN, 1 Primrose Terrace, Saltburn by Sea, Cleveland TS12 1BB. Seeking information on Clemitson Brown and Margaret Maughan who married at Bywell St Peter in 1811, and the Snowball family of Hexham around 1800. Also John Walton who left Woodhouse Close Colliery, Bishop Auckland in 1866 and his family. 4483 Mrs Maureen GUNSON, 5 McNeill Road, Kallangur 4503, Queensland, Australia. Can anyone help with information of the Gunson and Parker families, probably of the Teesside area. Alfred Wilson Gunson (1838-1910) married Eliza Bennet Cockton and they had three children: Annie Elizabeth (1862), Henry Cockton (1864) and William Arthur (1866), all born at Middlesbrough. William Arthur married Ada Creasor in 1890 and they had two children Florence Evelyn (1892), and John Everett who married Emma Parker and emigrated to Australia.